No Parking: the word on the sreet
by Ferox Ryter
Summary: **CHAPTER 15** In a nut shell, No Parking means you can't stay still, you can't stay where or as you are. You have to change. Clutch really shouldn't have stolen that car
1. It's a car

[ooc] This is the first fic I've tried to write with a plot! So please bare with me if it takes a little long to get to the point. There's just so many charachters in JSRF and I would really like to keep the chapters short and easy enough to read. If you have a suggestion at any point during the story, don't hesitate to make it.   
I enjoy recieving intelligent reveiws that tell me what people really think of my writing, however, if a long reveiw is something you can't be bothered with, I also would like to know how many people are following this story.   
Thanks you to everyone who read and reveiwed my last fic, 'I am'. All the charachters in that have been used in this, or will be eventually. I reckomend you have read that first so you know who the charachters are. [/ooc]  
  
The grate of wheels over concrete had all the beat of a wrist watch as a girl skated along Highway Zero, following the side of the road without disrupting the traffic, skating more for the sensation of doing something rather than to reach a particular location. She hadn't been skating very long, but she did want to check out the highway, for a couple of reasons. First of all, she had heard that there were a few stalls about the place, and she was a sucker for a bargain, especially if she could haggle about the price. Secondly, it wasn't part of her territory, and she was always curious. Curiosity killed the cat, so they said, well, this girl was also partial to cats.   
  
She skated along beside the road, past a rail then turned 180 degrees to skate along it and get enough speed to ride the billboard at the end of it. But instead of jumping to the other in a series of moves she loved, she let herself drop, and just look. The area was obviously controlled by another gang, that was for certain. Their tags were all over the billboards.   
  
Maybe there would be better things to do here instead of shop after all.  
  
She inspected the graffiti critically, it was only a small sort, a picture of a spray can to be precise. She smiled, and pulled a can of paint from the bag on her bag, and shook it up thoughtfully, deciding between the series of tags in her head to choose which she would do.   
  
After a moment's consideration, the girl put the can back without spraying anything, and instead took out a permanent marker from her bag and knelt to write next to the bottom right corner of the tag. She scrawled something quickly, then turned and skated back the way she had come.  
  
Clutch watched the girl from a high platform of the highway. He considered her actions odd, and wondered if she had noticed him. It was unlikely, she hadn't looked his way, and he hadn't seen her before. Soda had never mentioned a girl that looked like her either, with her long, wavy brown hair, leopard print, definitely tight top and plain black pants. He would definitely remember a body like that if he saw it again. He watched the girl skate down the Highway and out of the GG's territory before making his way down to see exactly what she had done to his tag.   
  
He had to kneel to read what she had written. In distinctive blue ink was written 'Nice design, it's got character. Proportions are slightly out though, but over all good. B+'. Then the style changed to a scrawl that was almost completely horizontal saying, he guessed, it was hard to read, 'Ferox was here'.  
  
Ferox. He didn't recognise the name. Clutch guessed he'd have to ask other people if they knew anything. He didn't know if it was the girl's handle, or a new gang. Part of him hoped that what she had been wearing was uniform among a gang, and he was fairly sure he would be able to recruit a few other guys in the GG's to go after them if it was necessary to 'teach them a lesson'.   
  
Actually, he liked the idea of spanking a girl like that over his knee, now he thought about it. But now was not the time to think of such things, they could be pondered about later. Later, as in just before he fell asleep. More important things were happening just then.  
  
A car pulled up right in front of Clutch. It was an average looking one, the sort that was new maybe thirty years ago but now were only bought second, third or fourth hand if it was lasting. The driver got out, shut the door, and walked between the billboards quickly heading for the stalls.  
  
Clutch stared at the car.  
  
The keys were still in the ignition.  
  
Clutch wasn't a criminal, he was just around when crimes happened. This was because of stupidity. Other people's stupidity. Mainly the stupidity of people designing cars that can go from 0 to 180 kilometres an hour in ten seconds and selling them to even stupider people who were only interesting in dull things like fuel combustion, and the colour of the seats. Clutch didn't see the point of that. That wasn't what cars were for.   
  
The keys were still in the ignition.  
  
As far as Clutch was concerned, he was practically doing people a favour by really seeing what their cars could do, and no way was that stealing because he always put them back if he could, and they were nearly in the same shape. You'd think people would be proud to know their car can do close to 200 kph on highway zero instead of complaining all the time.   
  
The keys were still in the ignition.  
  
There were a million places in the world the keys could have been, but in the ignition is where they were....  
  
Old cars like that probably couldn't go very fast at all.  
  
They keys were still in the ignition. Firmly, invitingly in the ignition.   
  
Clutch shifted uncomfortably.   
  
He was aware that there were people in the world who considered it wrong to take cars that didn't belong to them, but, however you looked at it.....  
  
.....the keys were still in the ignition. They weren't going anywhere by themselves. 


	2. At 99th Street

[ooc] Here's the next piece. Thank's for reveiwing. I hope you'll be just as tollerent of later chapters when I jump around a lot.[/ooc]  
  
It's just plain stupid, thought Clutch as he watched the two plumes of smoke in front of him. What kind of idiot drives a car with unresponsive brakes? He was practically doing the world a favour by taking it off the road.  
  
And over the pavement, and along the side of the dragon of 99th street, and through a flower stall, and over a rail, and through a gate, and into the side of the dragon. Next time he'd have to try to catch a power line.  
The plumes of smoke were quite pretty really, they had little rainbows in them. Actually, maybe they were steam now he thought about it.  
  
***  
  
A fairly short and dainty girl stood as still and cold as stone next to a giant lucky cat next to a bridge in the surrounds of 99th street. She did not look impressed with anything. Her teal hair was held in two ponytails on either side of her head, which made her look strongly like a member of Rapid 99. Anyone not looking at the outfit of the members of this particular gang often noticed the unusual hair. More people noticed it on this girl, because her outfit wasn't much to look at.   
  
Truth be told, Melanie was part of Rapid 99. In a tied plastic bag in one hand was the usual outfit, consisting of a skimpy, cold top, fishnets and knickers. Also her usual skates were in that bag, which she was sad about. She liked those skates, they were properly worn in and it would cost money to get a new set when she went through with this. If she ever went to get a new set.   
  
Slowly she walked towards the river, one hand tightly gripping the red rail. She ignored the people who passed by, although there weren't very many at this time of night, as far as she was concerned she was the only person in the world. She might as well have been.  
  
Melanie watched the river for a long time as it glooped past. It really should have been a pretty sight, clear water reflecting the multicoloured lights of the lively part of town. But it wasn't. The paint on the rail was cracking and worn from many sets of wheels grinding it, and the river itself was full of pollution and junk, and would definitely be harmful to swim in. Nobody would notice a little more litter in there. Especially if it was heavy and just sank straight to the bottom.  
  
She changed her mind briefly, removing the pair of skates from the bag before retying it again and looking back at the river. Then in one, fluid motion the ex-member of Rapid 99 flung the bag away from her. It landed with a unsatisfying splash a few meters away in the water.  
  
Melanie put on her skates again, and skated off towards the dragon, determined to get out of there.  
  
Jazz sat with her legs dangling over the roof of a building and watched the girl's display. She couldn't quite work it out, but it was definitely something to watch for the time being. Jazz pulled her self upright and jumped onto a wire to follow the girl as she skated quickly through a mall towards the central dragon plaza.  
  
She was about halfway there, when she realised something was out of place. There were two plumes of smoke rising. She tricked to speed up to see what had happened; the last thing she wanted was more stunts from the police or the dragons on fire. She almost sighed with relief when she saw it was just a crashed car, and then cursed when she recognised the tangled red mop of Clutch's hair as he tried to limp away.  
"What the hell has he done now, stupid idiot!" she cursed and boosted up to him to see what was wrong. Clutch staggered away from the car, hoping desperately that it didn't blow up. He probably shouldn't try to drive in skates. He looked up when he heard Jazz cursing, she did that a lot. She grabbed his shoulder and shoved a hand in front of his face.   
"Clutch! Clutch can you hear me? How many fingers am I holding up?" Jazz was aware that her yelling, if not the car, was attracting attention. Clutch stared groggily.  
"Nobody.....has that many fingers Jazz..."  
"Come on you idiot," hissed Jazz as she dragged him around the dragon to the way up and back to the garage. "Can you skate?"  
"Cheesewheels don't like the sky," mumbled Clutch. Jazz took that as 'skate? I can barely understand you, take it as a no' and dragged him after her onto the dragon's tail. Clutch was heavy to drag, but at least the wheels on his skates knew how to work, and weren't damaged, apparently. Clutch continued talking gibberish.   
"Come. On. You. Dummy." The nearly vertical tail was really hard to drag Clutch up, and Jazz really didn't want to be around when police showed up. Or even when the owner of the car made a debut appearance.   
"You need to lose some weight," she added. Finally they reached the more horizontal piece of the dragon, and a moment later were onto the road. There were no cars, which really was a blessing. What was better was that at the moment, there were no police either. Jazz didn't doubt her ability to handle the cops by herself, but not with Clutch like this.   
Supporting his weight, Jazz had to slow down a little to keep Clutch upright as they headed to the garage. 


	3. I'll make you a bet

[ooc]Thanks to everyone for reveiwing! [/ooc]  
  
"Nothing is going to happen."  
"It's been too quiet too long," insisted Corn. He wasn't arguing as such with Cube, it was simply a matter of he was focusing on one point, and she was telling him to relax and not worry. Corn was standing on the semi-broken platform of the garage, and Cube was watching him stew as she leant on a rail.   
"Has it occurred to you Corn, that the world is not your problem?"  
"Well if it's not mine, then who's is it? Something isn't right. I can feel it." Cube sighed. Corn was getting more and more like this these days. All tense and jittery. You'd think after dealing with A.Ku.Mu. he wouldn't worry about anything else, that nothing could be worse than that had been. It didn't. It made Corn even more concerned about everything.   
"Look, tell you what," bartered Cube, she knew reason often prevailed, especially if you acted like you knew the outcome of a bet, "If something catastrophic does happen, I'll pay for a dinner for you. If nothing catastrophic happens, you owe me a meal. Deal?"  
"What's the time limit?" asked Corn, no matter what state he was in he'd always be alert enough to spot a con, but a meal didn't sound like too bad a deal.  
"Let's say within the next twenty-four hours."  
"Deal." Cube couldn't help feel a little smug with herself even though she felt angry with herself at the same time. She had finally managed to get Corn by himself, except for her of course, in the garage, and no matter what hints she dropped on his toe, he still didn't get it, and wasn't taking advantage of the situation. The thought did occur to her that he knew what she was doing, but just wasn't interested, but she really didn't want to consider that possibility.   
"Anyone there!" shouted Jazz from the entrance closest to 99th street.   
"What's happened?" yelled back Corn, automatically picking up on the nervousness in her voice.   
"Clutch is hurt!" Cube and Corn bolted for the 99th street entrance to help Jazz. It was very apparent that Clutch had had a little accident. Apart from the fact that he couldn't stand up by himself there were cuts all over his face, blood matted in his hair, and Cube guessed he was bruised all over as well. Looks like I owe Corn a meal, she thought.  
  
Soon after that, Jazz, Corn and Cube between then had managed to get Clutch down under the semi-broken platform and wrapped up in blankets on some cushions. Cube had rolled up his trouser legs to see if he'd done anything to his bones, but although his ankles were swollen and the flesh was bruised, she could not tell if he had broken a bone.   
"What happened to him?" Corn interrogated Jazz. "Was it the cops?"  
"No," Jazz shook her head sadly. "You know Clutch. He found a car. With keys." The demonic keys with had been waiting for Clutch in the ignition of the car were still held tightly in him hand, Jazz had been too busy to make him drop them, and Cube was still busy checking his status.   
"So where's the car now?" asked Corn. He knew it would be crashed. He just wanted to know where it was crashed.   
"At 99th street. He drove it into the dragon, it seems," reported Jazz. "Nobody else was hurt. The dragons aren't too badly damaged either."  
"Were the coppers there?"  
"No, but I'm sure they will be by now."  
"Yeah, we'd better make sure everyone lays low at that place for a while," decided Corn. "How's he doing Cube?" Cube had seen quite a few members of Poison Jam take bad falls in the sewers, but they were tougher than Clutch. They also had armour. Cube knew a few injuries and how to treat them, but she knew very well that she was not a professional doctor.   
"He's breathing, his pulse is strong, mostly. It's a little fainter in his left leg, so he might have broken a bone near the artery. That's bad. I can't tell anything else, there wasn't a big cut on his head, just a few little ones that have stopped bleeding, but are still seeping fluid. His eyes are okay, and his teeth are all there. It's the legs I'm worried about Corn. He needs to see a real doc."  
"We'll have to get him one then. Jazz, go find Combo, ok?" Combo knew a few adults about the place, including a very useful doctor. He knew a lot of people his caretaker had known, and they still kept in touch because they liked, or felt sorry for him.   
"Cube," Corn continued, "Tell me what needs to be done until then so Clutch can be moved then go find everyone else and tell them to keep off 99th street, and be extra alert for cops." Cube knew he was going to say that. She also knew why. Corn knew she was faster than many other members of the gang, so he'd sent her to pass on the messages. Even though she knew the most about medicine out of the people who were there right now. He'd stay with Clutch because he was so susceptible to damn responsibility, but she also knew there was no point arguing with him.   
"Bandage those legs, tight, there's not much else you can do. If he wakes up, give him some water, but no food. Don't give anything to him while he's unconscious." 


	4. Rules? What's a rule?

[ooc] Ok, action scene time. I really don't like the way I write fights, but I hope this worked. I'm glad someone's wondering about Melanie, it's nice to have someone take an interest in my chcarachters. This chapter is a littlelonger than others, so that probably means the next few will be shorter. Anyway, read on.[/ooc]  
  
Beat sat lazily with his back resting up against a wall while Gum stood, ever alert it seemed, leaning against the same wall. The two of them were going to go on a quick run, checking and tagging any irresistible targets at Dogenzaka hill, but had then decided that they just couldn't be bothered. It just proves that laziness exists in all walks of life.   
  
The two of them were slacking at the top of the hill, behind a couple of billboards. To their left was the start of the run that curled down hill, and to their right, beyond the billboards, would lead them up to the road.   
  
Beat was nodding his head to some sort of music. Gum glanced at him briefly before going back to looking around to make sure everything was as it should be. She had really felt like doing something active, but she didn't mind just hanging around doing absolutely zip with Beat either. She would have liked it better if he had been talking to her.   
"Hey," said Beat suddenly.  
"What?"  
"DJ professor K says there's a new gang hanging about," said Beat.  
"The DJ's freaky," said Gum. She didn't like the way he always seemed to know exactly what every member of the GG's was doing all the time. It was very disconcerting for her to have a 24-7 narrator.   
"They've been sighted a few times. Either that or they're just a few rouges and it's coincidental that they're showing at the same time. Been seen around the outskirts."  
"So?" said Gum. "Any clue where they are?"  
"Out of range according to the radio. Nothing to worry about." Gum looked up from watching Beat again when she heard the indignant shouts of the civilians, who were apparently only there to scream at any disturbance. She could hear the consistent grating of skates. It sounded like two or three different sets.  
"Get down," hissed Beat, who hadn't moved, but tugged hard on Gum's skirt to pull her below the billboard. Gum obliged, although her descent was a little indignant. The new skaters hadn't noticed them. Beat suspected that they hadn't even considered jumping over the billboards. They could both hear the cries of exhilaration, and two different thumps as skates hit and rode the billboards. They weren't voices Gum or Beat recognised.  
"Out of range eh?" said Gum angrily as she stood up again, Beat did the same.  
"Just shows ya can't always believe what ya hear on the radio," shrugged Beat, carefree as always, and started moving. Gum beat him to the grindable pole and took off, the invaders clearly in sight. One was presumably a girl, judging from the long black, silky hair. It was too well kept to be a guy. Her outfit was dark blue and blacks, with a fast moving glitter of silver. The other was a short guy, pale brown hair cut close to his head, a light grey t-shirt and black sport pants with a white stripe. Gum couldn't see their faces. She could hear Beat behind her, not too far back. They were gonna teach these two just who's territory they were playing on.   
  
The girl turned her head over her shoulder to look at who was following in them, making it clear that she definitely was a girl, as Gum landed on a rail, jumping off just in time to land easily behind the boy and unload paint onto his shirt.   
"Sparky look out!" shouted the dark haired girl. The boy didn't turn. He didn't shout anything. He didn't try to spray paint into Gum's face. He just stopped. And ducked. Gum didn't respond in time, and tripped over him. She cursed, fluently. The boy was already up and moving away when she struggled upright. Beat paused to lend a hand.   
"Come on!" he urged. The invading pair were already half way down the first curve Beat and Gum took the steep shortcut, and caught up with them again. Beat shook up a can, and focused in on the boys back, the slower of the two. Putting more effort into speed, he caught up with the boy, apparently called Sparky.   
"Eat this midget!" Sparky turned just as Beat started to unload his paint, and grabbed the Ruddie around the neck.   
  
Beat was taken completely by surprise.   
  
He was even more shocked when he realised that the boy was dragging him down the second steep short cut, heading straight towards a hard concrete wall with his, Beat's, head in the lead. Apparently, this boy didn't care about paint.   
  
Gum figured this out too. Being faster, she managed to catch up the little lost distance, and used her spray in a previously unthought of way.   
  
She whacked Sparky over the back of the head with her can.   
  
Sparky cried out and let go of Beat to protect his assaulted skull. Gum grabbed Beat's arm and pulled, spinning the both of them slightly but stopping momentum splattering Beat's brain against the wall. That would have been some very bad graffiti.  
"I'll get the little bugger!" vowed Beat, but didn't get a chance to. The girl that was accompanying Sparky skated past, shoving Beat into Gum and into the wall before grabbing her friend's arm and urging him on. Gum found herself cushioning Beat from the wall.   
"Those buggers play for keeps!" breathed Beat, slightly in shock, knowing very well what the wall could have done to him. True, compared to tanks a concrete wall wasn't much, but at least the tanks stopped when you sprayed them. The boy hadn't. Not that it was terribly surprising; it was just paint after all. But still, most rudies had the decency to play by the rules.   
"Beat?"  
"What?"  
"We should be chasing them, you stupid bug-eyes freak."  
"Oh yeah." Beat pushed himself away from Gum and the wall and waited for her to move too. Gum didn't say anything, but skated past him, jumped onto a flat roof rather than skate down the third steep shortcut and then over the next roof. She didn't make it onto the rail, but she was close. She quickly jumped onto her missed target to continue the chase. Beat was after her, although didn't sound as pleased as he had previously.   
  
The next stretch was one of the few uphill pieces of the Dogenzaka run, and really took a chunk out of a skaters speed. Gum tried her best to keep her speed by grinding any available rails, but the two attackers were getting too far ahead. Beat boosted and overtook her, landing a solid punch in the back of the boy's head as he rocketed past as his own little revenge. He cried out in anger. Gum knew Beat wasn't going to let the jerk get off easy, after all he had tried, and nearly succeeded besides, to kill him. But it was the girl Gum was worried about. She didn't know where she had gone. It was like she had disappeared.   
  
There was a hiss as Sparky unloaded paint, into Beat's face. Beat veered off to the side, knowing that if he got paint in his lungs it could be dangerous. He had to slow down, being poisoned wasn't worth the chase. Gum slowed down briefly to see if he was alright, but decided he was and went after the invaders again.  
"Leave him alone!" shouted the girl, and Gum realised too late that she was behind her. The wind was knocked out of her as she fell to the ground, gasping for breath after the deft blow the girl had dealt. The girl caught up with her friend and the two of them sped off, putting distance between them, and Beat and Gum as they disappeared around the corner. Gum coughed for breath.   
"You alright?" asked Beat coming to a halt next to her. His face was covered in black paint, except where he had wiped it away from his goggles and mouth. He looked like a sort of angry, inverse panda.   
"Yeah, fine," panted Gum.   
"Good. Let's go." Beat grabbed Gum's arm and dragged her after him, the shattering of glass indicating the location of their foes. Gum didn't need to be told how or where to skate, but nevertheless let Beat lead the way along the tops of walls and out of the building near the sewerage pipe.   
  
The boy and girl were keeping to the street, avoiding the sewerage pipe.  
"Come on!" yelled Beat, ignoring the indignant civilians as he and Gum chased after them. The two intruders turned the corner, Beat and Gum gaining on them. And then.....  
  
....they were gone. Beat and Gum skidded to an unspoken halt and looked around. The boy and girl had literally disappeared; the only thing left to confirm their existence was the paint on Beat's face.   
"Where are they?" asked Beat, as though Gum just might know the answer. She didn't.   
"I don't know!"  
"Well where the heck could they have gone?"  
"I don't know. Let's go check Shibuya, even if they're not there, Combo might be able to help," suggested Gum.   
"Yeah, alright. Let's go." 


	5. Logical Nonsense

[ooc]Phew, glad that skirmish scene worked alright. Now I am seriously jumping around. Please don't think I'm too weird when I tell you that all the charachters I invent are based on real people[/ooc]  
  
The boy and girl Gum and Beat had been chasing breathed heavily as they waited and listened to the sound of skates fading.   
"That was close," said the boy, Sparky, "And look what they've done to my shirt Thyla! This stuff had better wash out."  
"Shh," hushed Thyla as she continued to listen. When she was certain that Beat and Gum were gone, she tore her attention away from the slot that served as a letterbox.   
"Right then," she said.   
"Just look at my shirt!" Sparky continued to complain.  
"You did nearly kill the guy," Thyla reminded him, "And in any case, Major will probably have a spare top if you want one that badly." As it happened, Major was the occupant of the house. He was a little, shall we say, odd, when compared to the rest of the city.   
"Major!" she called, "Are you in?"  
"Of course my child! Come in! Come in!" called a voice from deeper into the building.   
"Come on Sparky," said Thyla, grabbing the protesting boy's arm and dragging him on.   
"Hello Major," Thyla greeted the occupant on the next room.   
  
When one sees Major, it is apparent that he is owed considerable observation. As the name suggests, he looks a little like he belonged in an army. The hard, dusty green, protective hat with a brightly polished gold star sits slightly skew-if on his head, his pips are clearly displayed on his shoulders, his army boots are polished, he is clean shaven and his moustache is neatly trimmed.   
  
The whole military look is ruined slightly by the red dress he also wore.   
  
This was typical of Major. He was a little, odd, in most sense of the word.   
"Hey Major," said Thyla, "What's the word on the street?"  
"No Parking!" shouted Major.   
"That's nice," said Thyla calmly. Sparky was trying very hard to keep his distance. Sometimes Major had that effect on people. He was smoking a cigarette, and a cigar at the same time.   
"What's happened to you two? Covered in paint," fussed Major. As he shuffled closer, one of his false boobs dropped down onto the floor.   
"It's nothing, it's nothing," insisted Sparky, backing up. "Thyla, we gotta go."  
"Oh alright," sighed Thyla. "Thanks for letting us duck in here Major."  
"No problem my children. I'm always happy to have visitors, even if they don't stay long. Would you like anything to eat before you go?"  
  
A few minutes later, Thyla and Sparky were skating sedately side by side through the back streets once more. Thyla was eating a cupcake.   
"Why do you always have to do that?" accused Sparky.   
"Do what?"  
"Go in there. Talk to him. Her. Whatever."  
"What's your problem?"  
"Major's just weird. He freaks me out!"  
"He's not contagious or anything," Thyla assured her friend. "You don't still believe in boy germs and girl germs do you."  
"No! but…"  
"Oh come on," sighed Thyla.  
  
***  
  
Jazz hurried as much as she dared around Shibuya, as she jumped up onto a rail to avoid the stairs and stop on a traffic bridge over the road. She looked around for Combo, who usually noticed everything that happened in Shibuya, presuming he was there of course.  
"Hey Jazz!" Yeah, looked like Combo had noticed her. He jumped off the rail behind her. "What's up babe?"  
"Clutch got himself hurt again, Cube reckons he needs a doctor. Corn sent for you."   
"Right then, I'm coming. Wait a sec, what's Gum and Beat doing here?"  
"Huh?" Jazz turned, sure enough the mentioned two had just showed up, looking flustered. Beat's face was still mostly black. Combo was already half way down to them.  
"Combo!" greeted Beat.  
"Beat my man, you look awful."  
"Same to you," remarked Beat dryly.   
"Combo, Jazz, you haven't seen two strangers skating through here have you?" asked Gum urgently.  
"No," answered Combo, "Haven't seen anyone recently but for Jazz. We got new gang trouble?"  
"Don't know, maybe."  
"We've still got Clutch trouble," reminded Jazz. "So what else is new?"  
"What's up with Clutch?" asked Beat.  
"He borrowed a car again."  
"Did he put it back?"  
"Er, not exactly," explained Jazz, "But be alert for police, ok?"  
"Aren't we always?" grinned Beat, his white teeth showing up strongly against the black paint on his face.  
"I seem to remember this one time," started Gum.  
"Other than that one time."  
"And at Chuo street…"  
"And other than that," snapped Beat.  
"You should go back to the garage to wash up. Have a shower or something," suggested Jazz.  
"For the first time in his life," interjected Gum. Beat rubbed his hand on the still wet pain of his face, then brushed it against Gum's cheek playfully, leaving a back mark.  
"Hey!" Gum kicked him sharply in the shin.  
"Will you two children ever stop fighting?" asked Combo.  
"I don't think they will," said Jazz, "Come on you two, back to the garage to clean up." 


	6. Height Thoughts

[ooc] Yeah, Major's based on a real person. Believe it people. Thank you all for being so encouraging[/ooc]  
  
Why do I let him make me the messenger girl? Cube asked herself as she dashed through Rokkaku Dai heights, keeping her eyes and ears open for any of the GGs. It was a very stupid question through, because Cube already knew the answer dam well. But she saw no point in brooding about it.   
  
The heights always gave Cube a funny feeling. They had once belonged to her, in a way they still belonged to her because they were part of the GG's territory, but it was different now. They used to be just hers, in a way, the same way Poison Jam was just hers. She owned Poison Jam, and she owned the territory.   
  
It was different being a GG. Very different. Everyone was a different person, just like Poison Jam had been, but they all looked different too. They were all individuals.   
  
We, Cube corrected herself, not them, it's us.  
  
Corn also didn't act like he owned everyone. Cube wasn't sure what she thought of that. She liked Corn how he was, true, but she also wished he'd be a little more dominating. Sometimes he drove her spare with his indecisive manner and almost inability to do anything by himself or without someone else's approval.   
  
Cube noticed acutely the GG tags all over the place, some of them still showed parts of Poison Jam graffiti underneath them. It saddened her, a bit. She knew her Poison Jam were still out there, it wasn't like they could disappear, could they? It was just that they didn't dare repaint their tags because they couldn't deal with pressure from the GGs. But they still needed a place to go.   
  
Still, the heights were a great place, and good fun if you remembered sunscreen and a water bottle. Cube had brought neither, however. One reason was because they cramped her style, the other was because she didn't intend to be above ground very long.   
  
The Heights are a haven for pretty much everything, thought Cube as she grinded through a building on some ancient railroad tracks. It was true. Whether it was displaced Rudies, stray or abandoned pets, crows or anything else, there was a place it could hang out at the Heights. About the only species you didn't find up there was rich people.  
  
Of course, a certain someone who had originated as a local hadn't let that stop them from trying to take over the city.  
  
Not that it's that much to take over, or save for that matter, thought Cube bitterly.   
  
Cube paused for a moment when she heard a noise. She listened for a moment, but only a moment because that was exactly how long it took her to realise what it was. It was one of the last noises she wanted to hear right now. She couldn't think deep and philosophical thoughts with that noise happening.   
  
But, she knew she'd have to face it sooner or later.  
  
Cube had just been hoping that it would be later.   
  
Bracing herself, Cube jumped onto the rail of the stairs that would take her down to the sewer pipe. She landed easily on a flat piece of ground without grinding, and waited for the onslaught. Here it comes, thought Cube.  
  
"Cube!" squealed Rhyth part was through a mid air trick. Cube gritted her teeth. Rhyth's general chirpiness really ticked her off sometimes.   
"What are you doing here?" asked Rhyth, grinning happily and panting from her time consuming tricks.  
"Looking for people," answered Cube flatly. She wasn't a great conversationalist at the best of times. Her great contrast to Rhyth just emphasised that.  
"Who? Why?" Cube glared at Rhyth, but the negativity just washed over the blissful Rudie like water over glass.  
"Everyone. Corn says to be alert for a police crackdown."  
"Why? What happened?" Cube reflected that Rhyth really did ask a lot of irrelevant questions.   
"Clutch. He borrowed a car."  
"Again?" Stupid question, thought Cube.  
"Again."  
"What happened?" Didn't she already ask that? wondered Cube agitatedly.   
"He took a car. That's all Rhyth." There was an edge to Cube's voice now.   
"Oh." Rhyth was quiet for a moment, but she shifted a bit. She was always moving, Cube had noticed that. It was another feature that annoyed her. Rhyth was always overflowing with energy, it made Cube tired just by looking at her. She couldn't tell her to bugger off either, it would be like kicking a puppy.   
"Where are you going now?" Rhyth asked innocently.   
"Through the sewers," said Cube bluntly, "To see if I can find anyone else."  
"Can I come?" No, thought Cube, no, definitely not. I don't want a little cheerleader following me all around the town.  
"Ok," Cube said, and cursed her hypocrisy. 


	7. A Change is as good as a holiday

[ooc] I'm glad you like how Rhyth was portrayed. This piece is an excercise in accurate, and vague description. Tell me if you can nearly see what I'm talking about[/ooc]  
  
It was only natural for a souvlaki to dribble. That is just what they do. All over the world, souvlakis drip down the arms of their consumers. The ones being eaten by Boogie and Garam were no exception.   
  
The siblings were at Kibogaoka Hill. The open space near the jumps that led onto the giant telephone wires was actually not a bad spot to sit, eat, and muse over civilisation. Providing you sound get your lunch up their in a suitable number of pieces.   
  
There was a dog watching them, a scrawny white and brown mutt who was desperately hoping for a scrap. Boogie had decided to feed the poor thing, after she'd eaten a bit more of course.   
  
The only sounds were the moist noise of chewing, and the distant screaming of birds. The radio had been turned off. The peaceful atmosphere was only ruined slightly by the hill smelling of wet carpet. The siblings didn't say anything to each other. They were just staring.  
  
They had, what you might call, a problem.  
  
Kibogoaka Hill had been tagged.   
  
And what a tag indeed.  
  
The tag was hot. Overall it looked like it had been painted with pure fire. If you gazed at it long enough, you could spot that it was actually a bird on the tag, but it was a fantastic bird on fire. It was masterfully done, with more different shades of orange and red than most Rudies used, simply because it was too cumbersome to carry so many different shades that were nearly identical. It was also huge. It ranged over three levels, from the ground up, several separate tags merging into one depicting this awesome phoenix. The bird itself looked fierce and mighty, and very nearly alive.   
  
Whoever had painted it had also painted over the platforms and rails between the levels, making the tag an almost 3D illusion.   
  
It was masterfully done.  
  
And neither Boogie not Garam had any clue who had done it.   
  
It was almost like it wasn't a tag, but a deliberate work of art that belonged in a museum, or a background for a computer screen. Not something to rekindle a street war.   
  
Garam and Boogie both knew that they'd have to paint it up, but neither felt like doing it right now, as it would take too much effort in this lazy hour.  
  
Besides, they were eating lunch.  
  
It was a puzzle, no doubt about it. It would also be a shame to see such artwork go to waste.   
"Ever hear of a gang using a phoenix symbol?" Garam asked his sister between mouthfuls.   
"No," admitted Boogie. In her mind she pictured a gang as eccentric as the Immortals had been. "But it could just be some kid who wants to make his mark, but doesn't skate or anything. Some artist person," she suggested.  
"Odd that it's only in this one place. Pretty though."  
"Maybe whoever did it ran out of paint?" suggested Boogie, flinging a piece of meat from her lunch to the stray dog.  
"I wouldn't be surprised with the amount of paint that must have used up. Reckon we should try to find the dude?"  
"I don't know. Someone else in the gang might recognise the tag. It would be hard to forget I imagine. Others might know of tags like that in the outskirts. I don't remember anything close to a phoenix. It's not very common. Too occult for most people's tastes."  
"Did you hear something just then?" asked Garam, lifting his head as he wiped his hands on a serviette, having finished his dripping souvlaki. Boogie listened for a moment, then nodded.  
"Yeah. I think it was Rhyth." About two seconds later, Cube and Rhyth burst through a board and descended towards where Boogie and Garam were sitting. Boogie jumped up and cleared some space, Garam didn't bother, but nevertheless didn't get hit. Rhyth landed just to Cube's right.   
"Hey, what's happ'nin'?" asked Boogie.   
"Corn says be alert," said Cube bluntly.  
"Why?" asked Garam calmly.   
"He reckons there'll be a police crackdown."  
"Clutch stole a car," interrupted Rhyth, much to Cube's annoyance.   
"Did he put it back?"  
"He crashed into the Benten tower."  
"...Oh."  
"Is he alright?" asked Boogie.   
"They're gonna get him to a doctor. He should be," explained Cube. Garam nodded, understanding.  
"He drove in skates, didn't he?"  
"Seems that way."  
"That never works. The wheels slide on the pedals."  
"I think he's worked that out by now."  
"Thanks for the warning," said Boogie. "But how'd he......"  
"He fell, obviously. He's lucky to be alive," said Cube tiredly. "But you got the warning, that's all I got to tell you." Cube turned to go, then turned back.  
"What on earth is THAT?" she pointed to the phoenix.   
"It's a tag," shrugged Garam, "Any clue who's?"  
"Nope," admitted Cube, still staring it up and down, trying to take in the sheer magnitude of it. She didn't know how she could have missed it.   
"It's so pretty!" exclaimed Rhyth.  
"But it's on our territory," Cube's eyes narrowed, "It should be gotten rid of."  
"Yeah, but it would help if we knew who put it here," countered Garam.   
"Corn's got enough to worry about right now. Best get rid of it then see if whoever it was comes back to redo it."  
"But it's so pretty!" repeated Rhyth.  
"It's the only one," offered Boogie, "If we've got a new gang on our hands, they would have tagged the whole hill. Not just this one spot. Why don't you go tell Corn what's happening, but we're taking care of it?"  
"Fine," snapped Cube, feeling the odds stacked against her. "Just stay alert." She turned to leave again, not bothering to get high enough to jump onto the wires, but instead staking along platforms heading back to the sewer entrance.  
"Hey! Wait for me!" shouted Rhyth. 


	8. It happens Especially in the sewers

[ooc]Ok, I'll admit it. The badly animated aligator amuses me terribly. I love Turdle/Billy/Al, or whatever else you want to call him! He's just hilareous! My brother spent about twenty minutes trying to avoid the aligatore before I told him it was harmless. Don't you love it when siblings are idiots?[/ooc]  
  
"Cube! Wait up!" shouted Rhyth as Cube kept speeding away from her, as though she didn't care where Rhyth was. Cube dashed into the sewer from Kibogaoka Hill and turned a sharp left, skilfully and fluidly jumping over the grates to make her way along the pipe without any hindrance. Rhyth followed behind her as best she could, but she had never exactly raced through the sewers. She wasn't as skilled at jumping over the grids.   
"Cube wait!" Cube kept going. Now the grates were getting higher, and she was several grates in front of Rhyth. It was still easy for her to navigate. Grabbing air on the side of the pipes was as easy as walking for her. At the end of the first section of pipe, she had her favourite trick. She grabbed a whole stack of air, and flew through the air to land on a pole taking her to stairs up to the next level. She didn't even get wet, or touch the platform below her. Rhyth missed this stunt, and took more time to get up to the next level.   
"Cube!" Rhyth cried as sewer water splattered her clothes. "Come back Cube!"  
  
Cube was already pulling the same series of stunts to get through the next section of pipe, and wasn't even considering going back. She was finally getting Rhyth off her tail. She didn't know what she did to encourage Rhyth, she almost tried to repel her, but the chirpy kid always seemed to be hanging around. But not for the rest of the day, if she could help it. At the end of the second section of the pipe she ground the rail, and then jumped off.  
  
She rode the wall, and the next, then dropped lightly to the ground and headed towards the bottom of the sewer.   
  
***  
  
"Cube! Where are you? Cube!" called Rhyth desperately. It was ten minutes later, and Rhyth had no idea where Cube had gone. She had kept climbing in the sewers, until she had reached the level where the creature lived. It was probably an alligator, but nobody could ever be bothered to classify it. Rhyth just called him Billy. And he didn't mind.  
"Billy? Do you know where Cube went?" Rhyth asked, as though it would answer.  
Billy waddled.  
"I lost her, and don't know where she went."  
Billy waddled.  
"Have you seen her?"  
Billy waddled on.  
"She has to be somewhere!"  
Waddling is what Billy continued to do.  
"Where can she be?"  
Billy waddled into a hole in the wall, and disappeared from Rhyth's sight.  
"Billy!" Rhyth knelt down to look into the hole, but it was too dark to see anything.   
  
There was a sudden roar behind her. Rhyth jumped up and turned around. Two members of Poison Jam had just landed on her platform, glaring fiercely at her through their masks. Their armour made them look fiercer. Neither looked impressed.  
"Oh, it's only Rhyth," one of them said. "Hey Inta, what's ya sister doing here?"  
"How the hell should I know? I'm not her keeper," growled the second one, removing his mask. Rhyth stared up into the face of her eldest brother.   
"Rhyth, what are you doing here?"  
"Hi Nick!" Rhyth greeted her brother, oblivious to the tone, "Hi Thumper," she added to the other Poison Jam.   
"Answer me Rhyth."  
"I didn't come here by myself. I was with Cube. But I got lost."  
"Deliberately I bet," growled Inta, or Nick as Rhyth knew him.  
"I didn't mean to!" objected Rhyth. "Cube was just so fast!"  
"Listen Sis, just get out of here. This is no place for you."  
"Aw, alright Nick," conceded Rhyth. She really didn't like fighting with her brother.   
"Thumper, make sure she gets out, will you?"  
"Sure Inta." Rhyth's older brother watched his sister and his friend leave. He stayed still for a minute, then brought his hand to his mouth as he coughed violently, the noise echoing in the sewers.   
  
Once his coughing fit subsided, Nick pulled his hand away from his mouth and looked at the blood in his palm. Cursing, he wiped if off on his leg and set off to see if he could find Cube.  
  
***  
  
It was dark in the bottom of the sewers. Cube sat on her old throne, both the fires had long gone out. She used to feel so strong and almighty sitting up there, now she just felt alone. So very, very alone. Maybe she shouldn't have tried to shake Rhyth before. Maybe the reason no guy ever tried to get close to her was because she pushed everyone away all the time, and they didn't feel brave enough to come closer. Maybe that's why Corn never tried to get close.   
  
Maybe that was why everyone else seemed happy, when she didn't feel happy.  
  
Sure, the GGs were fun, and great to hang out with, but they were always so far away, in a way, like they were in a different world. Cube always felt slightly prejudiced against because she used to lead an opposing gang.   
  
She didn't know why she still bothered with the GGs anyway, seeing as they never seemed to fully accept her.  
  
Wait, yes she did. It was Corn.   
  
But he tried so hard. He tried to be fair to everyone all the time and it didn't work. Just once he needed to stop, to have a break. Or even if Corn stopped trying hard, and made things simpler for himself, it would be better for him. His problem was that he had no outlet. No escape. Yet I could escape so easily, thought Cube. I should take him with me. But he wouldn't go unless he knew the GGs could function without him. But then he'd feel unneeded.  
  
Cube sighed.   
  
Such was this complicated life. 


	9. Head Count

[ooc] So much for trying to make you guys forget something, and then bring it back as a big surprise. I guess you're just too smart for that, eh? Anyone seen that advert for Pal dog food where the dog's running along with sausages? Anyway, the plot is comming. Trust me. I"m just setting up for a sequal[/ooc[  
  
"Yo!"  
"Hey, sounds like we got more company," observed Beat.  
"Dead right," said Soda as he and Yo-yo skated into the garage.  
"And where have you two been?" demanded Gum, as Corn was still being worried.  
"Out," said Soda vaguely.   
"What happened, right, yo, was we met a couple of girls, yo," said Yo-yo.  
"Lucky," moaned Clutch.   
"Think for a change Yo-yo, do we really want to know?" said Jazz.  
"And then, yo," continued Yo-yo, "Soda gave me some money to go see a movie." The group's attention shifted to Soda, who was blushing all the way up to his goggles.   
"What? I didn't do anything wrong," he protested.  
"Right and wrong are dependant on morals. And yours are in question right now," said Gum darkly.  
"Hey Yo-yo," said Combo, changing the conversation as he wound a temporary bandage around Clutch's foot, where it hurt, "What movie did you go see?"  
"Baissier-moi," said Yo-yo, then to make a point about his intelligence, he added, "It means 'kiss me', yo." Gum stared at him in disbelief. Soda made a point not to look at him. Jazz rolled her eyes, but was mildly amused at Yo-yo's apparent ignorance. Corn didn't hear. Clutch and Combo didn't react.  
"I know that movie," said Beat. "It wasn't too bad."  
"It doesn't mean 'kiss me'," said Jazz slowly to make sure Yo-yo learnt something, "It actually means 'fuck me'."  
"Oh," said Yo-yo as he thought about it. "That explains a bit. Er, yo."  
"It certainly does." Without warning, the GGs were struck by an awkward silence.  
"Hel-lo!" shouted Rhyth as she came in from the Rokkaku Dai heights entrance. "Cube? Are you here?"  
"Hey Rhyth!" greeted Yo-yo. "I saw the best movie just now...Ow!" Gum had just hit him.   
"Hey guys!" greeted Rhyth as she made her way up to join them.  
"I take it Cube found you?" checked Corn.  
"Yup."  
"Where is she?" asked Corn.  
"I lost her in the sewers."  
"Well, I guess she'll be alright. The sewers are her domain, really," said Corn, stating the obvious more for himself than for anyone else.  
"Hey, how are we gonna get dumbass to the doctors?" asked Jazz.  
"Hey!" objected Clutch.   
"I suppose we could-"  
"Don't even mention the word taxi," Jazz and Clutch said in unison.  
"How are we going to get him anywhere then? He probably shouldn't put weight on that foot," said Gum.  
"Could take a bus," suggested Combo. "The doc's place isn't far from a stop. You could help him stand, it's only his foot giving him pain."  
"What do you mean only?" growled Clutch. "It hurts damn it!"  
"That's what you get for steeling cars," retorted Jazz.  
"Besides, a little pain never hurt anyone," said Soda.  
"...Yes it did."  
"Well, you know what I mean."  
"Soda, if I wasn't crippled I'd show you just how much pain can hurt," threatened Clutch.  
"You're not crippled," said Jazz tiredly, "Stop being such a drama queen."  
"Well I'm as good as crippled!" protested Clutch.  
"Aw, shut up already. Wuss."  
"Woof!" The loud, deep bark signified Pots' return from his raid on the streets. There was a string of beef sausages in his mouth.  
"Good boy Pots!" Yo-yo cooed over his dog when it dropped the sausages at his feet. "Good boy! You found dinner!"  
"Dinner?" checked Beat.  
"After it's been in a bog's mouth?" added Soda.  
"Not our dinner, his dinner," verified Yo-yo.  
"Well that is marginally better."  
"It sure was nice of whoever it was to give Pots some spare sausages," chirped Rhyth. The comical glint on Pots' sunglasses implied that Rhyth wasn't exactly accurate about the extent of human generosity.   
"Hey yous!" droned Boogie's voice from the Rokkaku Dai entrance of the garage.  
"Anyone in?" added Garam.   
"We're over here!" shouted Rhyth.  
"Wassup?" asked Beat as Garam and Boogie reached the group, clustered around Clutch.  
"We found a freaky graffiti," said Boogie plainly.  
"It was pretty!" defended Rhyth.  
"Not to forget the fact that it was huge!" added Garam. "Biggest thing I ever seen. Must'a taken a shit load of paint!"  
"Did you cover it?" asked Corn.  
"Man, we ain't got enough paint!" objected Garam.  
"Just how big was it?"  
"Three levels."  
"Three?"  
"Three."  
"Yo! That's big!" the fact just occurred to Yo-yo.  
"What did it look like?" asked Gum.  
"It was a bird," said Boogie. "Of fire. A phoenix I guess. Damn good painting too."  
"Where was this?" asked Corn.  
"Kibogaowa Hill. There was only one," said Garam. "Probably ran out of paint."  
"Or it could be symbolic," offered Beat, "According to legend, only one phoenix exists at a time."  
"I'm not surprised, judging by the amount of paint it must have taken," laughed Garam.  
"Hmm, this could be a problem," mused Corn.  
"Hey!" interrupted Clutch. "I remember now! I saw this new rudie skating 'round Highway Zero. She marked my tag."  
"Marked?" said Jazz sceptically, "What do you mean by that?"  
"She looked at it and wrote that it was good," said Clutch, before he began to lie, "She said it was A+ quality."  
"Yeah right," scoffed Jazz. "Prove it."  
"It's true! She signed it as Ferox."  
"Ferox?" queried Corn.  
"Yeah."  
"Never heard of that one before, anyone else ever have?" Nobody owned up to hearing the name before.  
"Anyway, are we getting me to a doctor or not?" bugged Clutch.  
"You sound perfectly healthy to me," muttered Jazz.   
"How's a broken leg supposed to affect my voice?"  
"It ain't broken," said Combo.  
"What would you know?" The argument would have continued, but the GGs stopped talking when they heard the rhythmic pace of skates gradually making their way closer. They remained silent as Cube skated up to the group without saying a word. Eventually, their silence aggravated her enough to talk.  
"What's with the stupefied silence?" she snapped.   
"Nothing," whimpered Yo-yo.  
"Cube! Where'd you go? I lost you!" exclaimed Rhyth.  
"It doesn't matter," snapped Cube.   
"We were just going to take Clutch down to a doctors," said Corn carefully, "would you mind lending a hand." Cube considered this for a moment.   
"Sure I'll help."  
"Good."  
"What's eatin' you, Goth-girl?" asked Beat.  
"Never you mind bug boy." Clutch decided once more to break the tension,  
"Um, doctors now?" 


	10. 8 who fought like 800

[ooc] Time to answer questions, and make a few more. Time to meet, my gang.[/ooc]  
  
Thyla and Sparky skated as slowly and as inconspicuously as they could into Chuo street. It wasn't too hard, all they had to do was make sure they didn't bump into any screeching pedestrians, and nobody would care for their presence.   
"So where are we going now?" asked Sparky.   
"The um, lizard thing," answered Thyla, the name of the Chuo street monument escaping her mind at the time.  
"Is that where we're gonna meet the others?"  
"No shit, Sherlock."  
"Hey, back off." The two turned and skated up towards the bit green construction that was literally the landmark of Chuo street. Sitting between it's legs, waiting for them like a hawk waits for a mouse, was a girl with long, wavy brown hair, a leopard print top and black pants.  
"Hey! Ferox!" called Thyla,   
"Hey," greeted Ferox in return, "What too you two rouges so long? Why ya got paint all over you?"  
"We had a run in," grumbled Sparky. "The local gang was kinda tough. I swear-"  
"Frequently."  
"-there's a dint in my head from that spray can as big as a dollar coin!"  
"Aw, stop complaining. Either of you two seen Fireball?"  
"Nup. He's usually late though," shrugged Thyla.   
"Or in jail," added Sparky. Fireball, the individual the three were waiting on, was well known by the police. They suspected him of being guilty of all the unsolved crimes committed within the last 100 years, which was a bit ridiculous considering that Fireball wasn't even twenty yet. In reality, he was probably only guilty of about 10% of all crines committed within the last ten years or so. The police knew all about him, and yet still managed to miss the important details, like how the hell he managed to escape them the whole time.  
"He's not that stupid. Not this early in the day," dismissed Ferox.   
"COWER BEFORE ME, INFIDELS!" shouted a boy facing up the grid rail that would lead towards the sewer pipe. His t-shirt was completely black, but for a big red bird on the front and the back. His hair was a mid-range color brown, but had been coloured red at the tips. The words 'LOVE' and 'HATL' were written on his knuckles. He had run out of ink before completing the last 'E'.  
"Put a sock in it Fireball," dismissed Ferox. "We gotta get back, if you're finished mucking around. Loon, Ryter, Muse and No-Yo will be waiting for us back at the joint. Come on," Ferox stood up and led the way.  
"Did you get any tagging done?" Sparky asked Fireball as the four of them headed off.  
"Yep," said Fireball proudly. "A big phoenix."  
"Cool. You'll have to show me later."  
"Yeah. Muse's 'spray by numbers' things really work well."  
  
***  
  
"Ye-hah!" screamed Ferox as she jumped off the roof of a building, followed closely by Thyla, Sparky and Fireball.  
  
She was very fortunate to land on a washing line that she could grind, which took her to an open window of the building. In an often practiced gesture, Ferox placed her hand on the windowsill and vaulted through, quickly getting out of the way as Thyla, Fireball and Sparky came in after her.  
"Welcome back strangers," greeted a girl in the kitchen, who had just put the kettle on to boil.   
"Hey Ryter," replied Ferox. "Feeling better?"  
"Much, thanks." Ryter's eyes and outfit were both a striking green, and her hair was brown streaked with blonde. She was actually short compared to the rest of the gang, but her height didn't get her down.  
"So, what's the word on the street?" asked Ryter.  
"No Parking," said Thyla automatically. Ryter considered this.  
"Nice," she decided eventually. "Very metaphorical. 'No Parking'. You can't stand still, you have to keep moving, keep changing. It speaks of rules and laws, and the fact that we obey them in one sense or another. It's also a kind of funny phrase. How'd you come up with it?"  
"Er, Major said it," admitted Thyla.  
"…Oh."  
"Hey, where's Loon?" asked Sparky.  
"Oh, he's around somewhere. Possibly down the street. Not to mention 'round the bend." The door to the apartment creaked open, and a stack of books walked in on two human looking legs. On closer inspection, it proved to be another girl carrying a stack of books.   
"Need help, Muse?" checked Fireball as the girl dumped the tonne of books onto the table.   
"Nah, I'm fine." Muse was also very short for her age, with a mass of blonde hair and shiny blue eyes. She wore a pair of jeans that were starting to go thin at the knees, and a light blue t-shirt with a dark blue dragon printed onto it.   
"The spray-by-numbers-phoenix worked well," said Fireball. Muse smiled, it was a truly inspiring smile, like the sun rising.  
"I'm glad it worked."  
"You're not seriously reading this stuff?" scoffed Sparky as he fingered through her books.  
"Hey! Leave my books alone!"  
"It's all nonsense stuff! Look at this, U.F.O.s, aliens, crop circles, unicorns, dragons, and stuff. Why are you reading this junk? It's not real."  
"That's what the government says! They're just covering it all up," insisted Muse. Ferox shook her head. When giant footprints had appeared around the fountain in the park last winter after the snow there had been two theories. There was Muse's theory, which said it was Bigfoot, and there was Ferox's that stated it was a combination of Fireball and two 'Giant Rubber Feet, A Wow at Parties!!!!' from the joke emporium in Penny crescent. The Bigfoot theory had the backing of so many official sources in books and television programs that it practically outweighed Ferox's, which was merely based on watching him do it. But there was no harm in letting Muse believe what she wanted, for one thing in inspired some wicked artwork.  
"Can we not have this argument again, please?" she asked.  
"Yeah, the tea's ready," said Ryter.   
"Great! Bring on the elixir of life," declared Fireball, "With two sugars."  
"Coming right up."  
"MAD!" a twang followed the shout as something heavy landed on the washing line. Thyla glanced at her watch.  
"Right on time," she announced as another boy flew through the window. He wore only a singlet and shorts, no matter what the weather was.  
"Yes, we know, we know," said Thyla tiredly. "We're all completely mad."  
"No, no no nonono," contradicted Loon, "You're not all mad. That jump is mad. MAD!"  
"Yeah, yeah," yawned Ferox. "So we're just waiting for No-yo to finish work then?"   
"Yep," assured Ryter, "He should have finished by now, but the bus does sometimes run late. Sparky, what's with the paint on your clothes?"  
"Sparky and I ran into a couple of daft kids from some other gang," said Thyla.   
"I swear, they came out of nowhere," insisted Sparky. "We were just cruising, we weren't even tagging or nothin', and they jumped us!"  
"Where were you?" asked Ryter.  
"Aw, near the Shibuya terminal," said Sparky.  
"Wherever we were, they jumped us," said Thyla darkly, "They didn't try to talk to us or anything, thy just started spraying."  
"And what did you two do in return?" asked Ferox, bored with the conversation.   
"Er, nothing. We just scarpered. It wasn't our territory," mumbled Sparky. Ferox raised an eyebrow.  
"Did you now? Didn't try to, oh, I don't know, ram some guy into a wall?" accused Ferox. Sparky looked at his feet, but didn't shuffle them because he had long ago discovered that it was not wise to do so in skates.   
"Who told ya Fer?" Ferox lifted a radio from her pants pocket.   
"Jet Set Radio is tuned in on them. They're the GG's, apparently. Very popular it seems."  
"Yeah, so?" snapped Thyla, feeling the need to defend Sparky.   
"So anything we do involving them is going to be noticed. Not only by other gangs, but by the cops. We gotta play it careful. Anyway, Sparky. I thought I told you no killing?" Just then, the doorbell rang. Ferox sighed tiredly.   
"No-Yo! You don't have to ring! Just come in!" shouted Fireball. The door opened. A boy walked in, probably over eighteen judging by his looks. His skin and hair were dark, and he was beginning to develop a 5 o'clock shadow. A pair of black, lace up shoes were hung over his shoulder while average looking skates were on his feet. He was wearing business pants, a white shirt.  
Even, shock horror, a tie.  
No-Yo was aptly named. He never said 'yo' or 'check it out' (except at the supermarket) and the only person he ever called 'mother' was his mother. No-Yo claimed it was all racial stereotyping to say all black kids acted like that, but, however you looked at it, No-Yo was born anti-cool. If you gave No-Yo a baseball cap, he'd put in on [i]the right way around.[/i] That's just the way he was.  
Sparky was called that because he was full of energy, and not graceful enough to be called Slick. He also had a habit of sparking things to turn them into bigger problems, and a temper that flared without warning.  
Muse was fairly typical. A little crazy, but in a normal way. Ferox didn't necessarily believe everything she said, but Muse was an inspiration to everyone. She was always happy, and her artwork was fantastic. She was pretty funny too.  
Loon was just crazy, but intelligent at the same time. His insanity flared up from time to time, and when it didn't he seemed pretty normal.  
Ryter, well, Ryter worried Ferox. She was nice, pretty and charming, but it all looked forced.  
Thyla was cool, but at times she seemed almost psychic. Sometimes she'd say what you were going to say first, down to the exact word. Other times she predicted the weather, or seemed to literally disappear. She had 'instincts' or 'hunches' about people too, and hadn't been proved wrong yet. Ferox had learnt long ago to not make any bets with Thyla.  
Fireball was a big contrast. In fact, Ferox often suspected that Fireball as just an idiot, pure and simple. But then he'd come up with something really smart, like a plot twist in a story. She couldn't tell if he was a tactful genius, or a lucky fool. Or even a little from column A, and a little from column B.  
And for Ferox herself, well, she'd say she was nothing special. She just growled a bit at the gang when she thought they needed growling at, and was sympathetic when she deemed appropriate. The word 'Ferox' itself was from Latin, with a meaning that was something along the lines of 'fierce, wild, insubordinate, warlike, headstrong, spirited, courageous', or something like that. Fireball had given her that name one day when he thought he was being smart, and it just stuck. Ferox had been flattered that she'd caused such an impression.   
"How'd your job go?" asked Ryter.  
"Same old, same old," dismissed No-Yo.  
"Who the hell discovered you could get milk from a cow, and what exactly did he think he was doing at the time?" blurted Loon.  
"Having a good time, obviously," said Fireball.   
"Or a man may have observed a mother cow suckling her young, like most placental mammals, and used his logic to his advantage," offered No-Yo.  
"My man," said Loon patronisingly, "You just take all the fun out of it. Logic isn't for witty lines like that."  
"Sorry," shrugged No-Yo. A sudden thump made the whole gang turn to stare at Ryter, who had just collapsed on the floor. Muse was kneeling down to her instantly.   
"Ryter! What's wrong?"  
"Ugh, my gut. It hurts again," Ryter gasped. 


	11. Of Buses and Ice Cream

[ooc] I'm surprised it took you that long to work out I like Terry Pratchet. I've used more than two quotes in this. You can only rip stuff like that off in a fanfiction, unlike my original works which I would really appreciate someone reading! Melanie is involved in the plot, that's why she's not menntioned at the moment, k? Wait 3 chapters. But good to know you remember her. By the way, if you're going to bag a part of my work, please tell me which part[/ooc]  
  
"Hey girl, this isn't your territory."  
"It's not yours either."  
"Touché." Combo listened to the conversation with interest. He stood on the roof of some building at a corner in Shibuya Terminal. The conversation he was listening to, was one between a Doom Rider and a Love Shocker, neither of which should have been in the centre of GG territory.   
  
However, they weren't spraying or doing anything else to threaten GG hold on the location, in fact, it looked like they were leaving. There was a general agreement between gangs that public facilities, such as doctors, schools, gas stations and some shops, were out of bounds and although they might be situated in the middle of one gang's territory, they belonged specifically to no one. Bus terminals also fell under this list, seeing as the transport system was all linked. Shibuya belonged to the GGs, but was used by many gangs.  
  
There was another Love Shocker nearby, standing with a boy who was only about 2/3 her height, and clutching a black cat to his chest. She was arguing with a bus driver, about having animals on the bus from what Combo could guess.  
  
Combo had accompanied Clutch, Corn, Jazz and Cube to the busses, and then had left them to continue to the doctors while he watched over his patch as always. The two other gangs had drawn his attention.   
  
There was only the one Doom Rider poking his nose into the Love Shockers business, of which there was two. It seemed like the Doom Rider was bored, because to all appearances he was flirting with one of the Love Shockers, and not completely confident about it. It was the other Love Shocker with the little boy that was what he was really listening to.   
"I'm sorry, but no animals are allowed on these busses, except Seeing Eye dogs. That's the rules. You cannot bring your cat on board. You will have to leave it behind," explained the bus driver once more.  
"But it's part of our family!" insisted the little boy.   
"It's the rules, son." The Love Shocker placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.  
"Listen Dan, Savage can stay with Mina, and we can go to Uncle Roger and Aunt Penny's place in the country. Then we can get driven back here to find him again."  
"No Kel!" insisted the boy, Dan, "Savage stays with us! He's family! Besides, he's not the sort of pussy Mina would take care of." Such a smart mouth for such a young kid, thought Kelly, stubborn too. Little brothers are such a pain!  
"Alright, Savage and me will stay here, you'll be alright on the bus-"  
"No!" Dan wrapped one arm tightly around Kel's waist while clutching the protesting cat with the other.  
"We're staying together! And we can stay here!" Kel sighed and patted her brother's head. How could she say no to persuasion tactics as good as those?  
"Alright Dan, we'll stay here. We can work something out." There must be a way to work things out somehow, she thought to herself.   
"Mina, we're not going," she said as she tried to walk over to the other Love Shocker, away from the bus which was now leaving. It was harder to walk that she had anticipated with a small boy hanging off her waist.   
"Why?" asked the other Love Shocker.  
"It wasn't going to let us stay together. And we want to stay together. Um, your new friend seems to have just disappeared." Mina looked around, the Doom Rider had indeed scarpered.   
"Damn. He was looking cute too," she complained, "Ah well Kel. Looks like it's back to Hikage street for you then, eh?"  
"Yeah, I guess." There was a tug at Kel's shirt.  
"I wan' an ice cream," said Dan.   
"Dan, not now....."  
"But I wan' an ice cream. I'm hungry!"  
"Aw, go on Kel. Go get ice cream. They're only that cute when they're little," said Mina before leaving herself. Kel sighed as her friend abandoned her to her little brother with his irresistible charms.  
"Alright Dan. Ice cream it is."  
"Yay! I want chocolate and caramel and vanilla and chocolate fudge and sprinkles and nuts and a banana and hundreds and thousands and..." As you can imagine, his dream continued. 


	12. What's up Doc?

[ooc] Ok, I'll get back to what you're all probably more intersted in.[/ooc]  
  
A doctor's practice always smells. It reeks of antiseptics, non-allergenic dressings, worried people, and the general smell of an effort to remove all those dangerous little bacteria from the air. In short, it smells of lack of life.  
  
And this is where people come in an effort to live longer.  
  
Despite the fact that considerable effort has been made to make the place look cheerful, nobody is happy. Nobody wants to be there. From the doctors, to the receptionist, to the patients themselves, nobody wants to be there.  
  
Corn, Cube, Jazz and Clutch, especially Clutch, were no exception to this golden rule.  
"I could be dying here," complained Clutch, "Can't the doc analyse people any faster? I could be bleeding to death on the inside!"  
"Hypochondriac," muttered Jazz.  
"Well I could!"  
"If that was so, you'd have passed out by now," growled Cube, "You're too noisy to be dying."  
"Wanna make a bet?"  
"Shh," hushed Corn, "There are sick people here."  
"Yeah! Me!" reminded Clutch.  
"One more word Clutch and you will seriously need to see the doctor immediately," threatened Cube, "And a dentist to restore your teeth!"  
"Oh, oh oh," said Clutch, dripping sarcasm, "The doctor fine, yeah, ok, but the dentist, that just hits you straight in the heart." He tapped his chest. Cube stared daggers.  
"Clutch, spare us all and just shut up for a moment, ok?" said Jazz patently.   
"But-" Clutch did not get a chance to continue his protest. The door to the practice was suddenly burst open by Fireball and Muse, who entered closely followed by Ferox and No-Yo supporting Ryter between then, who's face was red and wet with tears of pain. The four GGs watched silently as the four new Rudies skated up to the counter, and a few moments later, Ryter was taken into a room. Muse went with her. Left with nothing to do but wait, Ferox, No-Yo and Fireball took up a chair each.  
"Psst! That's her! That's her!" Clutch hissed at Jazz, tugging frantically on her sleeve.  
"What?" Jazz hadn't caught on just yet.  
"Over there! That Rudie! She's the one that rated my tag!"  
"Oh." Jazz glanced at the three Rudies, guessing which one Clutch was referring to, seeing as Ferox was the only girl still there.   
"You sure?" she asked.  
"Would I forget a body like that?" Jazz realised that Clutch definitely wouldn't, he had a knack for remembering faces.   
"They're all wearing skates," stated Cube.   
"We noticed," said Jazz pertly, "Clutch say's he's seen the girl. They're Rudies, in case you just noticed that too."  
"But one of them is wearing a tie." Jazz chanced another look. One of them was, indeed, wearing a tie.   
"We should go talk," said Corn.  
"Go on then fearless leader," said Clutch, "Go tell them they're que jumping." Corn shrugged as nonchalantly as possible, and walked over to the group of three.  
"Hey," he said. Ferox glanced at him, then stood up to face him.  
"Same to you."  
"I'm Corn," Guess who said that?, "One of the GGs. I don't think I've seen any of you around." Ferox glanced around the room for any hidden cameras or microphones that just might have been conveniently linked to Jet Set Radio.   
"Ferox is the name," she said eventually, "We're only here for the doctor's. You probably saw our friend."  
"Yeah. What's up with her?"  
"We don't know. That's why we brought her to the doctor," Ferox's tone suggested that it should have been obvious.   
"Oh," said Corn. They both waited for each other to say something.   
"I saw you!" Clutch yelled at Ferox, who didn't bother acknowledging him.  
"You wouldn't have been mooching around Highway Zero by any chance?" asked Corn, as diplomatically as possible.  
"Yeah," shrugged Ferox, "What of it?"  
"It is part of our territory."  
"Is it? I didn't realise that," she lied.  
"You really should state what you were doing," Cube growled at her. Ferox glared at Cube. Jazz watched. There was chemistry between the two girls, only it was the sort of chemistry that quickly caused with an explosion killing hundreds of thousands of people, not a quiet chat in a back room.  
"I was going through markets looking for cheap food," she said eventually, a sneer evident in her tone.  
"Oh really?" Corn glanced at Cube, there was a reason the girl wasn't a diplomat.   
"Hey, Fer," called Fireball, "Muse says to go in to Ryter."  
"Coming," said Ferox evenly, and with a final death glare at Cube went into the consulting room. No-Yo, the only Rudie in history to ever wear a tie, stood up, approached Corn and shook his hand.  
"And you are?" snapped Cube.  
"In possession of more manners than you it seems," said No-Yo without apparently thinking before addressing Corn. "Our impromptu leader does not posses many manners either, so it seems it is up to us gentlemen to conduct the conversation in a civilised manner." Corn wasn't sure what to make of this. Cube was practically smoking. Clutch was grumbling about que jumpers, and Jazz was trying not to laugh.   
".....yeah," said Corn slowly, so that his confusion was hidden.   
"This harmless encounter should not be taken as any reason to rekindle the squabbling that used to run rampant on the streets," No-Yo continued, "Agreed?"  
".....yeah." Suddenly Ferox burst back through the door.  
"No-Yo!" she demanded, "How much dosh have you got saved up?"  
"Why?"  
"Ryter needs an operation. She's got herself an ovarian cyst, and it's gonna kill her if we can't get rid of it. How much dosh have you got?"  
"How much does she need?" Ferox brutally thrust a piece of paper under No-Yo's nose, and waited as the squinted to read it.   
"[i]That[/i] much?" he said eventually.  
"Yeah."  
"It'll take my till the end of the year to earn that much money if I get my promotion."  
"Ryter can't wait nine bloody months! This thing could kill her if she isn't operated on soon!"  
"We could help," offered Corn without thinking. Ferox's disrupting yelling, which had caused one old lady to leave the doctor's all together, stopped.   
"You can?"  
"We will," said Corn, only now starting to wonder how.  
"No we wont," contradicted Cube.  
"Oh? Why not?" Ferox turned on Cube again. She really liked picking fights.  
"Because as a gang, we ain't got no cash," said Cube smugly, folding her arms over her chest. Ferox sneered, but it wasn't as confident as earlier sneers had been.   
"We could earn some," said Corn evenly.  
"A little advice dude, before you commit to something, check with your girl friend first," Fireball winked at Corn.  
"W.....we're not going out," stuttered Corn. Fireball shrugged,  
"My mistake." 


	13. Combo King

[ooc]Sorry for not updating, but I've kind of been going through a depressive streak at the moment, so I haven't had time to bother to upload[/ooc]  
  
"If you keep eating that much ice-cream, you're gonna get fat."  
"Will not!" insisted Dan, chocolate sauce dribbling down his chin.   
"You look like a pig already," teased Kel.   
"Do not!" The brother and sister were sitting at an outside table of Dairy Bell, an ice cream shop, with Savage curled up on Kel's lap. Somehow, they're table felt disconnected from the busy street, like an island of serenity in the chaos of reality.   
  
However, Kel had no idea where they were going to stay.   
  
Their bags, containing all of their belongings, were under the table between their feet, along with what little cash they had left, which would surely be depleted rapidly for ice cream if Dan got his way. If only there was someplace cheap we could both stay, mused Kel dreamily. She liked the area, and didn't want to have to leave. But they couldn't pay the bills…..  
"Excuse me," murmured Combo, one hand holding his faithful music box, the other holding the back of the convenient third chair at the table.   
"Mind if I take a seat," he asked. Kel panicked.   
"I wasn't tagging! I wasn't looking for trouble or anything! Honest! I was just-"  
"I only asked if I could take this seat," repeated Combo calmly.   
"Oh. Yeah, sure, take it. Take it anywhere you want." Combo sat down, which Kel had been half hoping he wouldn't.   
"I saw what you were doing," said Combo calmly, resting the stereo on his lap.  
"Well then, you'd have seen that I wasn't doing nothing."  
"It looked like you were going to leave, little Love Shocker."  
"Yeah? So what?" Dan looked between the two older kids as he dealt with another rich mouthful of ice cream.  
"Just wanted to know why. Don't be so uptight." Kel sighed. Someone always wanted to know. They wanted you hear the story, and then they'd say they were sorry and couldn't help.   
"I don't have a source of income. We can't pay the existing debts for water and electricity. We gotta move out of where we're staying. We had relatives out of the city, but they don't take cats on busses it seems."  
"Don't you have any friends around here? I thought there were three of you Love Shockers?"  
"There are," agreed Kel, "But we go different places at the end of the day."  
"Who are you?" Dan asked Combo between mouthfuls of ice cream. Combo chuckled.  
"The king of Shibuya," he joked.   
"You're a king? Wow!" Dan's eyes shone in wonder.   
"He's not really a king....." muttered Kel.  
"Sure I am," laughed Combo, "A prince, abandoned at birth in a wicked plot. And to prove it, I'll buy you both another ice cream each."  
"Really!" squeaked Dan. Kel rolled her eyes. They way to her little brother's heart was definitely through his stomach.   
"Really."  
"Really really?"  
"Really really," assured Combo. He decided he liked this kid.   
"Yeah!" shouted Dan.  
"Finish the first one, piggy," Kell teased her little brother.   
"Sure thing!" Dan resumed eating at gobble pace.   
"So you got no place to stay, eh?" Combo asked Kel, letting Dan get on with the vital business of eating.   
"Yeah."  
"You could stay at my place. Both or you." Kel raised a suspicious eyebrow. Her other eyebrow crept up a little to join it at the same time.   
"What's the catch?" she asked.   
"No catch," insisted Combo.  
"Oh come on! You're offering your place with no catch? Nobody does that. We're even from different gangs, dillbrain, what do you think you are? A saint? I don't reckon you're a saint. Come on, what's the catch?"  
"I told you no catch."  
"Then what's the deal?"  
"Look," said Combo, "Family should stick together. I would if I had any family. I don't mind helping a good cause."  
"Well then," Kell leant back and started to think. The guy didn't seem that bad.   
"Finished!" declared Dan, holding up his spoon and empty bowl.   
"Let's get you another one then," said Combo, standing up. Dan jumped up.  
"Yay! Shibuya King is buying food!" Combo laughed as Dan dashed back into the shop.  
"Coming to make your choice, milady," he bowed dramatically, wobbled a little on his skates, and offered a hand to Kel. Kel rolled her eyes again,  
"Looks like Dan's made the decision," she said, standing up without any help.  
"The name's Combo."  
"Kelly. Or Kel."  
"Hmm, Lady Kel it is." 


	14. Cruising

[ooc[ The green car with a long roof is the best for this, in my opinion[/ooc]  
  
"It's stupid, immature, disruptive and above all, dangerous," Gum lectured Yo-yo and Soda, who didn't really care what she said.  
"It's not that dangerous," insisted Yo-yo. They had just explained to Gum what car surfing was.  
"You could die if you get hit by a car!"  
"But we don't," insisted Soda. "It's easy. Why don't you try it?"  
"Because I'm not stupid," snapped Gum.  
"Sounds fun," said Beat, "How's it work?"  
"Well," said Soda, rubbing his hands together eagerly, "You dash out in front of the traffic, stopping it, right? Then you or ya partner climb onto the roof of an unsuspecting car, and surf it all the way down to the other end of the street. Only tricky bits are staying on, and picking the car that's gonna stop."  
"What cars wouldn't stop?"  
"Taxis for one. Never trust a stupid taxi," said Soda.   
"Yeah, yo, Taxis are inconsiderate bastards. Yo."  
"So, let's do this then, yeah?" said Beat.   
"Right," said Soda, "Hey, where's Gum go? Did she get stuck on the bottom of someone's shoe?"  
"That's not very nice, yo."  
"Oh yeah? Someone had to say it."  
"No they didn't," said Beat calmly. "She was here just a moment ago."  
"Yeah, but a moment ago ain't now. Yo."  
"No kidding." The three boys looked dumbly around.  
"This is ridiculous," Beat shook his head.   
"Aren't all girls?" shrugged Soda.  
"How would you know, none of 'em ever go near you."  
"Yo, come on! We gonna surf or what? Yo?"  
  
"Yeeehaaaa!" shouted Beat, keeping low to the roof of the car as it drove down Dogenzaka hill.  
"Yooooooooooooooo!" answered Yo-yo, of course.  
"Told ya!" added Soda. Once you got the hang of it, Car surfing was pretty easy. It would probably be even easier without wheels on their shoes, but all in all, it wasn't hard, and so far was relatively harmless.   
"Where are we going?" Beat yelled over the Traffic.  
"Looks like Shibuya!"  
"Sweet!"  
"Yo!" The 'lucky' cars continued driving, turning at Dogenzaka hill to enter Shibuya terminal.  
"Hang on!" yelled Beat, with a sudden realisation, "We're all going different directions!"  
"So get off, yo!" suggested Yo-yo.  
"How?"  
"Hang five," suggested Soda.  
"What?"  
"Look over here, like this." Soda slipped one of his skates off, and removed the sock also. Then, with a crazy grin, dangled the bare leg over the windscreen of the car. Brakes screeched. The whole column of traffic stopped.   
"Next stop, Shibuya Terminal!" declared Soda, leaping off the car, landing gracefully on one foot and gliding around the corner. Beat followed quickly, as drivers started waving fists out of their windows and horns blared. Yo-yo was close behind him.   
"Come on, yo." Soda waited around the corner, sitting to put on his skate again.   
"So, what'cha think?" asked Soda, grinning madly. Yo-yo had the same grin. Beat didn't know it, but he also had the grin. They all grinned madly.   
"Let's do that again!" 


	15. Birds of a Feather

[ooc]It's amazing what one little typeo can do[/ooc]  
  
Music played in the Garage, although not as loud as usual, as it would upset the GG's latest visitor. He was sitting with Boogie.  
  
Or rather, on Boogie.  
  
On her shoulder.  
  
In case you haven't caught on, he was a crow.  
"Hey, why's that thing back?" asked Garam.  
"I guess it's one I raised," shrugged Boogie carefully, as to not disturb her new friend.  
"You gonna name him?"  
"Don't know. You think birds give each other names?"  
"Why not? Call him Blacky," suggested Garam.  
"Blacky?"  
"Yeah, Blacky. Nothing wrong with Blacky."  
"A little unoriginal, isn't it?" Cube suddenly skated in, a peculiar expression on her face.  
"What's up gal?" asked Boogie.   
"Wait and see," smirked Cube, skating around to walk up the stairs onto the platform. Garam finally recognised the alien expression on Cube's face as near laughter.   
"This had better be good, if it's making Cube laugh," he muttered.  
"Hey, bro," Boogie pointed, "Check it out." Jazz, Corn and Clutch came into the garage. Garam started chuckling.   
"Hey hey hey, looks like 'Clutch' is gonna get a name change." Clutch, the poor, unfortunate car thief, hobbled closer.   
  
He had crutches.  
"Hey! [i]Crutch![/i]" yelled Garam.  
"It's not funny," growled Clutch.  
"Yes it is!"  
"I'm just gonna check 99th street," said Jazz, heading off without anyone protesting.   
"Hey Corn, you look glum," said Boogie, gliding over without upsetting her bird.  
"As he should be," sneered Cube, "He just volunteered the GGs to donate a significant amount of money to a new rival gang."  
"What? What for?"  
"For an operation. To save a life," Corn explained himself. "A girl had an ovarian cyst."  
"So? All girls have cysts. That's what p-pain is," shrugged Boogie.   
"This one was gonna kill her."  
"Gees, what a way to go," Boogie actually winced, "Well, I can't blame you for wanting to help. Do we have that much cash?"  
"No," said Cube bluntly, looking at her fingernails, "Even if we did, we wouldn't hand it over."  
"Why not?" asked Garam, suddenly back to being serious.   
"Because they're rivals, dummy."  
"Does it not say in the good book 'treat others as you would have them treat you'? There is no cost too high to save a life."  
"Since when did you read the bible, Garam?" dismissed Cube.  
"Since I was ten." Garam held Cube's glare. For several tense minutes.  
"Gees, looks like we've got a future Padre in the group," Cube sneered.  
"Hey! At least Garam knows where he stands!" Boogie leapt to her brother's defence. Cube opened her mouth to deliver more put downs, when she heard Jazz come back. Rhyth was with her.  
"Jazz!" yelled Corn, "What's the news?"  
"The car's been removed, and is under custody of the police." informed Jazz, "Not much. Looks back to normal."  
"We'd still better keep alert."  
"As always," breathed Cube tiredly. Oh, for the simple days as queen of the sewer…..  
"Hi guys!" chirped Rhyth. "Oh Boogie!"  
"What?"  
"You've got a crow!"  
"Yeah. So?"  
"Can I touch it?"  
"Yeah, I guess so."  
"Cool!" Rhyth skated up to Boogie and 'Blacky' and began to pat he crow, mewing about how cute it was.   
"Caw!" Blacky flew off siddenly.  
"Oh? What did I do?" whispered Rhyth.  
"He probably didn't like the cat-like mewing," said Garam. "He is a bird, remember?"  
"She probably doesn't," muttered Cube.   
"Ruf! Ruf!" barked Pots, running towards the Dogenzaka hill entrance.   
"Sounds like Yo-yo's back," noticed Jazz. Sure enough, he was. Soda and Beat were with him. They were still grinning.  
"Where have you three crazies been then?" asked Garam, "Not up to anything suss I hope?"  
"No, no, not at all," grinned Beat, still clearly on a high from car surfing.   
"Us? Suss? No, nonononononononononononono," said Soda quickly.   
"What have you done?" asked Cube tiredly.   
"We were, yo, like, care surfing," shrugged Yo-yo.  
"Shut up idiot!" hissed Soda.  
"Hey, if you want to get hit by a car, that's your choice," dismissed Cube, not giving them a reaction.  
"We didn't want to," said Yo-yo, "But I did."  
"What?" asked Corn, worriedly.   
"I got hit by a car. That's why I came back. I needed a band-aid."  
"Let me get this straight," said Boogie slowly, "You got hit by a car, yes? And because of the collision, you need a band-aid. Just one. For a car accident."  
"Yeah, yo."  
"That just seems, well, lacking somehow."  
"Not to mention damn lucky," growled Clutch. "My car accident wasn't as fortunate!"  
"Yeah, but Yo-yo didn't drive a car into the Benten tower," reminded Jazz.   
"Hey! Clutch has crutches!" noticed Beat.   
"Sharp as a marble today, aren't we?" muttered Cube.   
"Hey guys, it's getting late," said Garam, "Some of us have places to be. Corn, can we discuss this money business tomoz?"  
"What money?" asked Soda.   
"You'll find out tomorrow," said Corn, "We really need everyone here to talk about this."  
"Oh, ok."  
"Right then guys. Let's split. Keep safe till the morning," said Corn, heading off to what he called home.   
"Bye Corn," said Garam, "See ya later Boogie. I got places to go."  
"See ya all!" called Rhyth. A little way out of the garage, Cube caught Corn up.  
"Hey," she said.  
"What is it?"  
"I owe you a dinner, remember?" 


	16. Bleep

Garam skated rhythmically through Rokkaku Dai heights, knowing exactly where he was going. He could have gone blindfolded if he had wanted to. He headed for the sewers, skating around an old man on a walking stick, after all why should he deliberate disrupt the elderly when he didn't have to? Without thinking, he knocked the statue resurrected by Goji over, as he did every time.   
  
He had no idea who kept putting it back up, especially now that the old lunatic was out of office, to say the least.  
  
He jumped off into the sewers, not bothering to grind down, but landed on the edge and ground towards the sewer entrance.   
  
The instant he stepped inside it was like the world had changed. The warmth of the outside was replaced by the muggy consistency of the sewers. It was sort of like walking into a barn full of flatulent cows busily producing methane. He ground across the 'bridge' he had constructed long ago before finding the GGs, and turned several corners to find the centre of the sewers. From there he turned right automatically, and coasted into the Fortified Residential Zone.  
  
He ground up stairs and steps until he looked out onto the second level of the Zone, where the base of the giant of metal rested. He didn't grind that beast though, instead opted for more exercise, and skated the corkscrew stairs up a level.   
  
"Ah! He touched my bum!" someone shouted as he skated around a corner to the next stairs.   
  
"Did not," he muttered, "Wouldn't have said that if I was Jazz!" He ground downwards on the next stairs, leaping off part way down, tricking as he soared through the air to land skilfully on the next stairs and spiral up wards onto the next level.   
  
Garam didn't actually know how the people who had to live here actually managed to get onto all the various levels. He didn't know how they managed to get into their houses either. It was just one of the many little mysteries in life that he felt no compulsion to solve any more.   
  
He skated along the side of a wall, weaving in and out of the few people there. Civilians were much more acceptable that men in cloaks and armed with guns. I wonder why some of them wore teddy bear outfits, he mused. He skated up the straight stairs just ahead of him, taking him left, jumping near the end to reach the next section of stairs. Open space reigned before him, looking down upon stacks of houses like badly constructed termite mounds. He could also see the deserted playground, really just a selection of swings, hobble horses, dummies that went 'poof' when you knocked them over, and a sand pit.   
  
Only, today it wasn't deserted.   
  
There was someone there, he could see them swinging slowly on one of the swings.  
  
Curiosity killed the cat, but Garam felt himself to be in no way similar to that particular feline.   
  
He started to grind the next stairs down, but leapt off, tricking down to keep him balance and landed right in front of her person on the swing.   
  
He could see her properly now; she wasn't a child, although her body was quite small. Her teal hair was tied back in a single ponytail. She wore black sport pants with two white stripes down either side, and a white t-shirt that hid the lines of her body, which was a change from what she used to wear. Over it all she had a leather jacket that squeaked when she moved, proving that it wasn't an expensive one.   
  
She looked up at him, Melanie's face unchanged from the days it had been worn as part of Rapid 99, but it was more noticeable now that the rest of her body wasn't. It was actually quite pretty, not that anyone had ever cared.   
  
"Hey, what are you doing mooching around here?" said Garam, not being hostile, just concernedly.   
  
"Why do you want to know?" she snapped.   
  
"Just-" A cold piece of metal twined around Garam's wrists, pulling them behind his body as another one slid under his neck. He struggled automatically, but whatever the metal thing was, it didn't relent.   
  
"Lay off NT," said Melanie tiredly. "The bloody GG isn't here to fight. They adopt rouge rudies into their ranks the whole time, don't you? Never bother defending your territory, you just annex the usurpers." There was a bitter tone in her voice. However, the metal binding Garam backed off and let go. Garam glanced behind him to see a noise tank sit down slowly, lights flashing slowly on its chest.   
  
"What's a lone 99er and a noise tank doing here?" asked Garam, turning back to Melanie. "I thought your gang were always together in a group of three. And I thought noise tanks always went around in numbers with several zero's behind them."  
  
"How many NT's do you think are left," sneered Melanie, "Your kind killed the lot of them, even if they are machine. Would you kill a cat for chasing a bird? You GGs probably would. Not only that, but you'd take away the tree for the bird, so it had nowhere to go anyway, and that's why it was vulnerable to the kitty."  
  
"Noise tanks were ruining the streets, they were a danger, that's why they were dealt with," said Garam calmly.   
  
"Never thought of going for where their orders were being sent from first, did you?" she sneered. The NT beeped. Garam jumped, obviously not as calm as he thought.  
  
"He wont's go at you again," said Melanie calmly, "He's running out of power."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"He punctured his battery pack," explained the ex 99er tiredly. "It's like slitting your wrists I suppose. The last NT is going to shut down. He would have just switched off, but his circuits were bashed around too. It's a shame." Garam glanced behind him at the still robot. Aside from a few flashing lights, although less than there had originally been, there was no sign that it was still active.   
  
"To be the last," murmured Melanie, obviously thinking of something else.   
  
"You didn't answer why you're here," remembered Garam, changing the conversation. Melanie shrugged.   
  
"What's it to you?"  
  
"I'm always looking out for people. It's my duty as a Christian," explained Garam, daring her to make something of it.   
  
"As far away from 99th street as possible," she explained, eventually, "And I promised him that I'd stay with him until he's well and truly gone," she gestured to the noise tank, now with only two lights on. A thought occurred to Garam.   
  
"I bet I can get him fixed."  
  
"I don't think you should."  
  
"Why not? He'll be as good as new. Roboy can handle it."  
  
"He didn't want to be fixed," insisted Melanie. "It was his sepuku."  
  
"You're kidding me," dismissed Garam, "I'll take him back to Roboy. He'll talk sense into the old computer. You'll see." The final lights of the Noise Tank switched off. Garam hefted the machine and placed it over his shoulders. He was strong enough to do it, after ages of hauling stuff around the sewers.   
  
"Hey, what's your name by the way?" he remembered to ask.  
  
"Melanie."  
  
"I'm Garam."  
  
"I know. You're a GG. The whole underground knows thanks to the radio."  
  
"Hey, listen, will you be here tomorrow?"  
  
"I have no intention of going anywhere," said Melanie bluntly.   
  
"Great." 


	17. Mc Donald's

[ooc] I think you guys should know this: This fanfics have changed my life! And not because I've opened my eyes to a world of possibilities, but because I now have a bf! Because he read these! [/ooc]  
  
McDonalds might not be the most romantic place for a dinner, with so many people crowding around the counter, and squashing into seats that are all a little too hard and bad for your back, but it would do. The food might not be the best for your health, full of dripping fat, excess salt and only wishful thinking declaring that the beef patties were actually made out of beef, but it tasted good. It definitely wasn't the most serene place in the city, but nothing in the city was really very serene any more. Nothing was sacred. McDonalds was as good as it was going to get. Besides, it was about all Cube could afford to shout, and she would never go to Hungry Jack's on principle.   
  
There had been a brief week in her earlier years when Cube had actually worked at McDonalds. It had only been for a week. Working just didn't work for her. For one thing, she had been expected to wear a stupid uniform that was mostly green and looked absolutely awful. For another, she was expected to actually smile the whole day, which just didn't agree with Cube one little bit. She didn't see why she should be nice to customers, they came when they wanted to waste money on cheap food, not to be smiled at by a tall girl looking stupid in a green uniform.  
  
Of course, there was the other small matter of actually [i]knowing[/i] what went into those objects loosely described as 'food'. That was enough to make anyone question their appetite.   
  
Honestly, some of the stuff that got cooked at McDonalds looked worse that the stuff that floated down the sewers. At least the flotsam in the sewers was marginally identifiable.   
  
Cube watched Corn as she chewed a mouthful of Quarter Pounder thoughtfully. Corn had a Big Mac, into which he had carefully placed some of his chips to make a 'Chip Burger'. Cube didn't quite understand why. However, she appreciated that Corn had been stressed lately, so such little things could be forgiven.   
  
"What are you thinking?" Cube asked.   
  
"Just wondering how we're gonna help Ryter," admitted Corn. Cube sighed inwardly. He'd never think of [i]her[/i], would he.   
  
"Forget her."  
  
"I can't."  
  
"Then forget her until the whole gang votes to help, ok?" said Cube tiredly. "Just enjoy the moment."  
  
"I can't help worrying."  
  
"You should stop. It's not good for your health."  
  
"If I stop worrying, I stop thinking, and I don't want to know what happens to me then," admitted Corn.  
  
"Just relax, eat, and pretend the world can take care of itself. Which it can, at least for a few hours," said Cube tiredly. She was glad the particular branch of McDonalds was fairly deserted tonight. Corn didn't respond. She frowned.   
  
"You're listening to the radio, aren't you?" she accused, but quietly.   
  
"What?" asked Corn. Cube rolled her eyes, reached across the table and pulled the earphones from his ears.  
  
"Hey!" he objected. "I was listening!"  
  
"You don't have to be on twenty four hour alert," said Cube sadly, "You are allowed to be yourself now and then, especially now."  
  
"It was just getting to the info, Cube," retorted Corn, snatching the earphones back and putting them back in. Cube sighed tiredly held her head in one hand and shook her head at her burger, as though it could empathise. It possibly could empathise, one was never quite certain what anything was in a Mcdonalds burger.  
  
"Gees Cube," said Corn suddenly, standing up. Cube looked up at him.  
  
"What is it?" she asked, he sounded anxious, and she couldn't help caring.  
  
"The police are looking for Clutch, they got a description, they know what he looks like!"  
  
"So? Make him shave off those bloody dreadlocks, no one will recognise him."  
  
"They're gonna find him, they're gonna catch him and put him in prison! We have to find him and…..and.." Corn was getting stressed about nothing, Cube could tell. She knew Clutch was still in the garage, and if the police honestly knew where the garage was, then they'd have been rounded up long ago. What worried her most, was that Corn was starting to breath funny, short, sharp, nearly wheezing breaths were never encouraging. It seemed like he was hyperventilating.   
  
"..and then they'll find all of us and that crazy with the gun will come along and shoot everyone and leave them for dead and it'll be all my fault because I couldn't warn everyone to keep safe and they'll be dead and-" Cube had had enough. She stood up, reached over the table, grabbed Corn by the shirt and pulled him close. Without hesitation she tilted her head, and planted her mouth over his.  
  
It was not exactly the magical moment she had imagined their first kiss to be.   
  
Corn tried to cough, suddenly finding his air supply restricted. Cube held the kiss until she felt his draw breath through his nose, it tickled her skin. Then she let him go. Corn, honestly, had not expected that one. He stood there dumbly for a moment. Cube glanced around to see who had seen. One of the McDonalds employees was staring at them, having been sent to clear tables if they were empty.  
  
"What are you staring at?" Cube snapped. The employee went away quickly. Cube turned her attention back to Corn.  
  
"You alright?" she asked.   
  
"Er, yeah," he stammered, "Um, thanks….." This is pathetic, Cube thought, he's not even prepared to take advantage of the situation.  
  
"Cube! Corn!" Cube looked up, having recognised Gum's voice.  
  
"What's up?" she asked angrily.  
  
"Nothing, I just didn't expect to find you two here," answered Gum.  
  
"Well we are here. Wanna make something of it?"  
  
"Nah, not tonight."  
  
"What are you doing here anyway?"  
  
"Aw, Beat went car surfing, and so I just wandered around," explained Gum, "didn't feel like going back to the Garage."  
  
"Well, we'd better get back now, to tell Clutch what's going on," decided Corn. "Let's go." 


End file.
